4/3/17: I recently had my new desktop/tower PC built (again) at Ken's Hardware. Aside from a couple of teething issues which were immediately fixed by the staff (Windows 10 wasn't completely activated at first, and the originally installed RAM turned out to not be entirely compatible with the motherboard), the new system has been working trouble-free so far and I expect it to last as long as my previous tower PC.
2/23/16: Another good experience with Ken's Hardware (Advantage Computer Services)! I reviewed their earlier repair (2013) of my desktop under their old name, so I want to talk about my latest visits here.
My HP G7-1365dx laptop started having bluescreens over Christmas, due to outdated/corrupted drivers (and, I must admit, my neglecting to update Windows properly). I brought it in for repairs on February 13th and got it back on the 16th, with all the current drivers installed and Windows 7 thoroughly updated and reconfigured, for pretty much the original quote (like last time, I made use of the coupon on their site for free diagnostics, which can save you a lot of money). My laptop works just fine now, which is good because I'm saving up for a new desktop so I have to keep my laptop going for a while longer.
I must admit I'm having some difficulty understanding the bad reviews under the old name, since I've never had a bad customer experience at this store. I do have to take issue with the reviewer who claims that Ken "knows next to nothing about computers"; if that were actually the case, he wouldn't have been in business for so long. I've had at least one custom-built system done for me and at least two major desktop repairs done in the last 15 years, and he and his staff have never made any major goofs. The only mistake I can remember them making off the top of my head was back in 2012 when I had my current desktop built there; Windows 7 wasn't properly activated at first, but when I reported it to Ken, he had me bring the box in and fixed the error the same day at no cost.
My only issue, not that it's really that much of one, is that the on-hand inventory is pretty small, but then, it's a small store that does most of its business in repairs and builds. That being said, they will custom-order what you need if it's not in stock there. They do have a lot of small but necessary items like keyboards, cables, mice, and such, and I've taken to purchasing my keyboards there - they have a lot of good-condition PS/2 keyboards for very cheap and I prefer those, even now, to USB keyboards (though I may finally have to give in at my next desktop). read more